Here's a list of the States (and Washington DC) ordered by "total relief:"
State Highest Lowest Mean Total
Point Point Elev. Relief
Alaska 20,236 ft 0 1,900 ft 20,236 ft
California 14,505 ft ?282 ft 2,900 ft 14,785 ft
Washington 14,417 ft 0 1,700 ft 14,417 ft
Hawaii 13,803 ft 0 3,030 ft 13,803 ft
Nevada 13,147 ft 481 ft 5,500 ft 12,665 ft
Arizona 12,637 ft 72 ft 4,100 ft 12,565 ft
Idaho 12,668 ft 713 ft 5,000 ft 11,955 ft
Utah 13,534 ft 2,180 ft 6,100 ft 11,338 ft
Oregon 11,249 ft 0 3,300 ft 11,249 ft
Colorado 14,440 ft 3,317 ft 6,800 ft 11,123 ft
Montana 12,807 ft 1,804 ft 3,400 ft 11,003 ft
Wyoming 13,809 ft 3,101 ft 6,700 ft 10,709 ft
New Mexico 13,167 ft 2,844 ft 5,700 ft 10,323 ft
Texas 8,751 ft 0 1,700 ft 8,751 ft
North Carolina 6,684 ft 0 700 ft 6,684 ft
Tennessee 6,643 ft 178 ft 900 ft 6,466 ft
New Hampshire 6,288 ft 0 1,000 ft 6,288 ft
South Dakota 7,244 ft 968 ft 2,200 ft 6,276 ft
Virginia 5,729 ft 0 950 ft 5,729 ft
New York 5,343 ft 0 1,000 ft 5,343 ft
Maine 5,270 ft 0 600 ft 5,270 ft
Georgia 4,784 ft 0 600 ft 4,784 ft
Oklahoma 4,975 ft 289 ft 1,300 ft 4,686 ft
West Virginia 4,862 ft 240 ft 1,500 ft 4,623 ft
Nebraska 5,427 ft 840 ft 2,600 ft 4,587 ft
Vermont 4,395 ft 95 ft 1,000 ft 4,300 ft
Kentucky 4,145 ft 257 ft 750 ft 3,887 ft
South Carolina 3,560 ft 0 350 ft 3,560 ft
Massachusetts 3,489 ft 0 500 ft 3,489 ft
Kansas 4,041 ft 679 ft 2,000 ft 3,361 ft
Maryland 3,360 ft 0 350 ft 3,360 ft
Pennsylvania 3,213 ft 0 1,100 ft 3,213 ft
North Dakota 3,508 ft 751 ft 1,900 ft 2,757 ft
Arkansas 2,753 ft 55 ft 650 ft 2,698 ft
Alabama 2,413 ft 0 500 ft 2,413 ft
Connecticut 2,379 ft 0 500 ft 2,379 ft
New Jersey 1,803 ft 0 250 ft 1,803 ft
Minnesota 2,302 ft 601 ft 1,200 ft 1,700 ft
Missouri 1,772 ft 230 ft 800 ft 1,542 ft
Michigan 1,979 ft 571 ft 900 ft 1,408 ft
Wisconsin 1,951 ft 579 ft 1,050 ft 1,372 ft
Iowa 1,671 ft 480 ft 1,100 ft 1,191 ft
Ohio 1,549 ft 455 ft 850 ft 1,094 ft
Illinois 1,235 ft 280 ft 600 ft 955 ft
Indiana 1,257 ft 320 ft 700 ft 937 ft
Rhode Island 811 ft 0 200 ft 811 ft
Mississippi 807 ft 0 300 ft 807 ft
Louisiana 535 ft ?68 ft 100 ft 543 ft
Washington D.C. 490 ft 1 ft 150 ft 489 ft
Delaware 447 ft 0 60 ft 447 ft
Florida 345 ft 0 100 ft 345 ft
Of the Top 13 (Total Relief), I have worked in all but 1 (Hawaii).
Hell...we have 640 acre Sections out here with more relief than half of the States!
B-)
Loyal
that's really cool!
I had no idea we had so many flat states. Drove though the Pan-handle once and thought I had entered a flat 2D dimension ?. But at least the burgers were great.
But are all of the elevations on the same datum?
Highest spot in Florida is a CSX landfill.
I posted the list on my Facebook page, and Stephen Johnson noticed that the arithmetic has some flaws. Most of it's probably just rounding error, but take a look, for example, at Louisiana -- that -68 feet is probably -6.8 feet.
Kansas is a bit of a shocker.
I've got to admit Kansas is a bit of a surprise. I only remember the flat parts. Maybe I slept through the relief (probably not a good thing since I was driving).
I think the -68 for LA is slightly incorrect. I know New Orleans is in a bowl of sorts, but not 68 feet below sea level.
Kansas is a bit of a shocker.
According to the Kansas Travel Guide online, the highest point in Kansas is Mount Sunflower at 4039 feet. The Flint Hills reach nearly 2000 feet. My limited driving experience in Kansas, between KC and Pratt, shows a lot of relief, which surprised met, too.
The site of the city was originally very low in relation to sea level, but human interference has caused the city to sink even lower. When New Orleans was being constructed they ran out of good land. To make more room, engineers drained swamplands around the area so they could continue expansion. This drainage led to subsidence. Subsidence is sinking or settling to a lower level, in this case it was the earth’s surface sinking lower in relation to sea level. This sinking effect has led to present day New Orleans being, on average, six feet below sea level.
Explains why everyone isn't buried, but encrypted. Okay, its bad. Don't flame me. 😀
Pretty neat list, Loyal. Here is a "nosebleed" photo:
I was driving by there one day and had to get a photo.
Kansas is a bit of a shocker.
Most prairie States really aren't as much flat as they are monotonous..
I mean, if you've seen one New Holland tractor, you've pretty much seen them all. And I can't tell the difference between a stand of DeKalb A-170 hybrid corn and the new and improved B-255. At least they put up signs so you'll know what you're looking at...
The "flattest" land I've ever seen was South Texas, toward the Gulf.
Kansas is a bit of a shocker.
The low spot is not at my place, despite what you may have been told. The low spot is on the river bottom where the Verdigris River crosses into Oklahoma around Coffeyville.
I have ascended to the thin air of Mount Sunflower which is a mere few feet higher than quite a few other gently rolling hills in the immediate vicinity. The high spot is roughly one-quarter mile from the Colorado border out in the middle of some farmer's pasture.
Kansas is a bit of a shocker.
I am from Kansas (Wichita). I think if you put a marble at the CO/KS line, it would slowly roll to the east side of the state.
Now that is some really cool numbers. Been to both the highest and lowest points in the 2 states I've lived & worked in for too long. Skied the Snow Bowl and swam in the river at Yuma. Hiked to the top of Mt Somethingorother in 'da UP, and swam in Lake Erie. Lots of other fun at those middle elevations too.
Still gotta get to Alaska though before it's over. Thanks Loyal.
I don't quite agree with Colorado mean elevation. Everywhere I've been in Wyoming when near Colorado, when I relieved myself it has always flowed downhill to Colorado. 😛
Pablo B-)
> I don't quite agree with Colorado mean elevation. Everywhere I've been in Wyoming when near Colorado, when I relieved myself it has always flowed downhill to Colorado. 😛
>
> Pablo B-)
I would guess the wind probably blew it uphill.;-)
Connecticut
I'd say my mean elevation I work in is about elevation 50
Blame Wikipedia
I didn't want to type the data from USGS PP 909 (which is in NGVD 29), so I just grabbed the data out of Wiki.
USGS PP-909 lists Louisiana as
Highest = 535
Lowest = -5
Mean 100
Which sounds a lot better.
Be that as it may, my point in posting that, was to give folks a "feel" for the GRID-GROUND issues in some parts of the West.
Loyal